Dr. Amy-May Leach, Lab Director
Dr. Amy-May Leach is a Professor of Forensic Psychology in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University (University of Ontario Institute of Technology). She received her M.A. in Developmental Psychology and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario, Canada). Dr. Leach’s primary area of research is the detection of detection in forensic contexts. She studies the social and cognitive underpinnings of deception and its detection, particularly as they
relate to vulnerable populations (e.g., children, non-native speakers). Dr. Leach also collaborates on projects in the areas of Confessions and Interrogations, Wrongful Convictions, and Eyewitness Identifications. She has received grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the American Psychology-Law Society. In addition to her research background, Dr. Leach has the unique experience of having worked as a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer. Thus, she has direct experience with the factors that affect forensic interviewing and decision-making.
Dr. Leach’s ResearchGate profile
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Katrina-Ray Villeneuve, Graduate Student – PhD 1
Katrina is a second-year Forensic Psychology MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Amy Leach in The Lie Lab. For her Master’s thesis, she is examining whether the length of thin slices affects deception detection. Katrina’s other research interests also include the effect of language proficiency on rapport and information disclosure, and the protective role of interpreters.
Current Study: Katrina’s MSc research titled “Short on Time: The Effect of Exposure Length on Deception Detection Accuracy” is examining cognitive processes underlying decision-making (i.e., how exposure time affects deception detection).
Overview:
Katrina is examining whether the length of thin slices affects deception detection. In phase one, interviewees (N = 32) were videotaped as they lied or told the truth about a mission they had completed. In phase two, 320 participants will be randomly assigned to one of eight exposure conditions (i.e., 100 milliseconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, or full-length) and attempt to detect the deception of 12 of these interviewees.
Click here to download Katrina’s CV
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Chelsea Blake, Graduate Student – MSc 2
Chelsea Blake completed her BA (Hons) in Forensic Psychology with a minor in Criminology and Justice at Ontario Tech University. For her undergraduate honour’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Amy-May Leach, she researched perceptions of accent and fluency in native and non-native English speakers and how that affected deception detection decision-making. She is now pursuing her MSc in Forensic Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Amy-May Leach. Her research interests for her master’s thesis include analyzing the relationship between cognitive load and the components of executive functioning to determine how they affect deception detection decision-making.
Click here to download Chelsea’s CV
Chelsea’s ResearchGate profile
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Scott Lusty, Project Assistant
Scott is a 3rd year student at Ontario Tech University enrolled in the BSc (Hons) Integrative Neuroscience program. He joined The Lie Lab as a Project Assistant in Spring 2023. After the completion of his undergraduate degree, Scott plans to pursue graduate studies in Neuropsychology.
Click here to download Scott’s CV